Tsunami

NEWCASTLE GEMS 8 Josh Embleton 22 = 4 Dale Pate 01+1 = 1+1 Archie Freeman 2X = 2 Jack Wright 1+1 - 1 WORKINGTON METEORS 10 Dale Lamb 33 = 6 Gavin Parr 1f = 1 Kieron Taylor 3 = 3 Heat 1 Lamb, Embleton, Parr, Pate 2-4 Heat 2 Taylor, Freeman, Wright. 3-3 5-7 Heat 3 Lamb, Embleton, Pate, Parr f 3-3 8-10 Heat 4 Freeman X Meeting abandoned (Archie Freeman was released from hospital early in the morning, battered and bruised, but fortunately no breaks) Result at the time stands

Great news. Just been told Archie has been given the all clear and NO BREAKS. Wants to ride in the 125cc championship at Worky on Saturday now

Remember it well. Into the crowd in front of the home straight stand. Could have been worse.

There has been light rain this morning which has now stopped. Sun out, no more rain and a very pleasant day ahead. The amount of rain and the duration of it, will mean the track will be wet in the base and I am expected a cracking track for tonight meeting. Should be an easy win for the Diamonds and hope it is a safe meeting for all riders. In the second half, the Gems ride their last home meeting in the NJL, which is against Workington Meteors. Should be a good tussle, after our draw away against League winners Halifax Dukes yesterday. See you there, 6.30 start.

HALIFAX DUKES 18 Kean Dicken 002 = 2 Sheldon Davies 210 = 3 Jordan Pallin 333 = 9 Harry McGurk 12+11 = 4+1 NEWCASTLE GEMS 18 Carl Basford 331 = 7 Gavin Parr 12+13 = 6+1 Archie Freeman 210 = 3 Jack Wright 002 = 2 Heat 1 Basford, Davies, Parr, Dicken 2-4 Heat 2 Pallin, Freeman,McGurk, Wright 4-2 6-6 Heat 3 Basford, Parr, Davies, Dicken 1-5 7-11 Heat 4 Pallin, McGurk, Freeman, Wright 5-1 12-12 Heat 5 Parr, Dicken, Basford, Davies 2-4 14-16 Heat 6 Pallin, Wright, McGurk, Freeman 4-2 18-18 A well contested meeting with the eventual result never a certainty.

I still use the old seaweed. For Weather forecasting not smoking.

I was at the Northside Training track for the NJL meetings with Northside, Berwick, Redcar, the Gems and Halifax. There was just mild rain later on in the afternoon, but it started to get heavier at 5.00pm as we left. It was very windy and hurtful on your eyes. As we came away, we visited Asda and all the main doors had been locked due to excessive wind. I really can't understand how the Met Office and others, can get forecasts so wrong. The rain forecast last night was for the rain to start at 4.00pm. Later last night it was moved back to about 7.00pm. This morning at 10.00am the forecast had deteriated to heavy rain from 10.00am to 11.00pm. And yet it still was nowhere near what they forecast. I read a few weeks ago that the Met Office is losing contracts and that a Danish company was now being employed. About time too, as the Met Office is plainly not fit for purpose.

Remember you only need 7 riders.

He missed the gate, get over it Pinny.

Not well known at all. If he did he would have done it for nothing for us .

Steve asked for your alternative, but after slagging the real problems promotions have for trying to get guests at short notice, even YOU failed to try and suggest doing it better.

Knew his brother Warrick.

He certainly had a detrimental affect on his teammates. At Exeter Darryl and i were TM"s and prepared what was going to be said in the team meeting as they were getting ready. We were riding well, and Exeter not as good as usual, so it was going to be a positive 'we can win this one' type of message. We walked with the team across the green toward the main grandstand, only for Watt surveying the track saying "well I'll get nothing here then". Good to his word, he gated about a second after the others in his three races, and packing up just to completely piss the rest of us off.

I was surprised it went ahead. Thought it would have been postponed cos of the wet pitch.

The reason why there are eligible riders, is that heat 15 is deemed to be the classic highlight race to finish a meeting on. In the past, hard up teams and/or getting beaten by many points, put the cheaper riders in regardless, and it was felt by the BSPA that that was a cop out and the fans should see the top orders/scorers instead. Hence the Eligible rules.

In double headers, as we hire the track by the day, not meetings, it is still only one stadium rent. Sunday followed by a Monday meeting, is a two stadium rent situation.

That's what I understand. Same format as cup comps and based on aggregate points.

As Bandits4eva is hinting at in post#35, Sheffield were at Berwick on the Saturday night before this Sunday Stoke meeting. The Berwick promoter was thought to have 'got Sheffield to win' at Berwick, hence the reason why Neil Machen came to Stoke as, if we lost at Stoke, Sheffield were the champions. which they were then. Dodgy dealings which is why we still think we were winners on 2002 as it meant Sheffield got the title on actual aggregate race points, not the match points. Aggregate points were stopped shortly afterwards after this Sheffield win, plus the Exeter win later. Watts attitude and riding at both Exeter and Stoke that year did him no favours with anybody.

There was talk of a double header this Sunday, but that seems not to be possible now.

Thats what made the 5-1's still exciting and worth watching Steve. The two Dukes riders are vastly more experienced decent riders, but Archie kept plugging away for that one opportunity to split them and he nearly did in two races. A bit like watching a highly entertaining 0-0 in football.

I also believe in giving younger riders opportunities to test their skills against 'better' riders. I don't believe in the dramatic sink or swim, as that will do more harm than good. An occasional trip in races at a higher level, gives them feedback as to how they coped and how they have developed. I would refer you to posts #29 #30 and #57 for a touch of reality.

It's you thats been drinking. I said 'pressed' them not passed them. Another lap and IMO he would have caught one of them. There was 3 good 5-1 races from the 125's, all decided by the gate.

NEWCASTLE GEMS 14 Josh Embleton 3, 3, 3 = 9 MAX Dale Pate 1, 0, 1 = 2 Archie Freeman 1, 1, 1 = 3 Jack Wright 0, 0, f = 0 HALIFAX DUKES 22 Kean Dicken 2, 2, 2 = 6 Sheldon Davies fX, 1+1, 0 = 1+1 Jordan Pallin 2+1, 3, 2 = 7+1 Harry McGurk 3, 2+1, 3 = 8+1 Heat 1 Embleton, Dicken, Pate, Davies fX = 4-2 Davies flipped at the gate, and thankfully was not seriously hurt. Embleton gated !!! Heat 2 McGurk, Pallin, Freeman, Wright 1-5 5-7 Dukes duo from the gate but under constant pressure. Heat 3 Embleton, Dicken, Davies, Pate 3-3 8-10 Embleton another great gate and hotly pursued by Dicken Heat 4 Pallin, McGurk, Freeman, Wright 1-5 9-15 Dukes duo from the gate but under constant pressure Heat 5 Embleton, Dicken, Pate, Davies 4-2 13-17 Dicken gated, but passed by Embleton with Dicken chasing hard Heat 6 McGurk, Pallin, Freeman, Wright 1-5 14-22 Dukes duo from the gate, but Freeman pressed them at the very end after gating last. Congratulations to the League Champions, Halifax Dukes. Sorry no times.

Well, we did what we had to do and that was to win well. Ippy still provided some good races with Barker and Risager riding well, not a 100% King after he blew his best engine after heat 1 finished, and Covatti failing just not to repeat his exciting form he did the last time Ippy rode at Brough. With the hastily arranged guests not really being up to racing at this level, all the Diamonds scored well, but there was still some blows to our big 4, with none of them getting maxi's. Given the circumstances our Danny stepped up, but Victor and Ash didn't score as you would expect, but nevertheless, we still saw some cracking races and brill overtaking, especially Steve's overtaking from last to first, and the ruthless blast around the outside by Robert. Fabulous stuff. I think that if Ippy were going to have a bit misfortune, this was the one to have it in, save your usual performance and recent form for the target thats ahead of us both, the PlayOffs. All teams have bad luck at some stage, and Ippy have plenty of time to overcome the current obstacles to compete in the PO's. In the case of poster Hawk127, you sound as if you have issues to suit your cause. All teams get problems getting guests, and when your bottom end riders, who are in form, dip out from illness or injury, you aren't going to find the greatest replacements at the drop of a hat. I know that posters on here are always better than their management, but even YOU couldn't have put a better team out in such short notice. with who was available. Not a bad meeting with good racing on our usual fit for racing track, followed by another good meeting between the local Gems against the Halifax Dukes at NJL level. A good night all round.

But at the end of the day, Tai or Lindback averages has got sod all to do with the fine appointment of Neil Vacher to his new position. Indeed, noone seems to be against his appointment, and acknowledge his considerable involvement from the tools to senior appointments and now Chief Officer. Instead we are discussing issues that had nowt to do with him. Oh Dear.